Wednesday, December 22, 2010

My Top 6 Christmas Treats!

I love baking all year around but there’s just something about baking at the holidays that feels even more fun. And yes, I’m a total cheese ball and have the Christmas music playing while I bake! :) It wouldn’t be the holidays if I didn’t get a chance to get in my kitchen with my mom and sister and bake all our favorite Christmas treats! We all have our traditional treats that we bake ever year, treats that our mom or grandma used to make…which always makes it extra special. It’s the time of year we get out all the favorite family recipes, and actually get an excuse to indulge in them. This is a list of 6 of my favorite treats to make at the holidays, the ones I look forward to every year. Hope you enjoy and I would love to know what some of your favorites are! :)

1. White Chocolate Raspberry Cake

This cake is a Christmas tradition in our home…it’s Christmas to me. I’ve never personally made this cake, but my dad makes it every year. Our whole family is in love with this cake. I love and look forward to it every Christmas. It's beyond delish! Since it is a tradition in our family I wanted to post the recipe...the only problem is that this is a recipe my dad just came up with on his own. So it's a little hard to tell other people how to make it. However, I’m going to attempt to try just because you should experience this yummy cake for yourself!

Ingredients:

1 white cake mix

2 bags white chocolate chips

2 large Cool Whips

1 jar raspberry preserves

2 bags frozen raspberries

Directions:

Prepare and bake cake mix according to package directions. Let cake cool, then cut in half to make two layers. Spread a layer of raspberry preserves over first layer of cake. Melt one bag of white chocolate chips and quickly beat them into one of the large Cool Whips, spread over preserves.

Next, cover the whole first layer with frozen raspberries. Add on the second layer of cake. Melt second bag of white chocolate chips and beat with the remaining Cool Whip. Spread over the whole cake.

You can decorate the top of the cake by piping more frosting on the boarder of the cake, and putting raspberries in the middle. Keep refrigerated.

My sister and I made this delish cheesecake for the first time on New Years Eve a few years ago for a family get together. It was a hit...therefore we only got one piece. So the next day we decided to make it again, only this time, keep it all for ourselves (Insert evil laugh). Don't be selfish like us. Share with your family. Or just make two. ;)

Ingredients:

(Crust)

1-3/4 cups chocolate chips cookies or chocolate wafer crumbs

1/4 cup of sugar

1/3 cup butter, melted

(Filling)

3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened

1 cup of sugar

3 eggs

1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

(Cookie Dough)

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/4 sugar

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tbs. water

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1-1/2 cups miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine cookie crumbs and sugar; stir in butter. Press onto the bottom and 1 in. up the sides of a greased 9-in. spring form pan; set aside.

In a mixing bow, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low just until combined. Add sour cream and vanilla; beat just until blended. Pour over crust; set aside.

In another mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars on medium speed for 3 minuets. Add water and vanilla. Gradually add flour. Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls over filling, gently pushing dough below the surface (dough should be completely covered by filling).

Bake at 350 degrease for 45-55 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight; remove sides of pan. Sprinkle with remaining chips. Yield: 12-14 servings.

3. Chocolate Truffles

I don’t know about you, but I Love chocolate truffles! This is a really easy and delish recipe that my sister and I make every year. We roll them in everything from Butterfinger and M&M’s, to Christmassy sprinkles, cocoa, and walnuts.

Ingredients:

1 package (2 cups) Semi-sweet Chocolate chips

1/4 cup sour cream

crushed assorted candies

cocoa powder

Directions:

Melt Choc. chips over small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in sour cream, blend well. Refrigerate 30 to 60 minutes or until mixture is easy to handle.

Using hands or melon baller,roll mixture into 3/4 inch balls; roll into cocoa powder, assorted crushed candies, or nuts. Place in paper candy cups, if desired. Store in airtight container in refrigerator up to 4 weeks.

This yummy Chocolate Cookie Bark is one of my favorite treats to make at the holidays! It’s so quick and easy to whip up. I love the way the peanut butter tastes with the white chocolate, it’s such a delish combo! When my sister and I made this bark a couple weeks ago we had some of the white chocolate/peanut butter mix left over so we decided to dip some Oreos … and let me tell you, they were amazing! We topped them with little snowflake sprinkles, and voila, a cute and easy holiday treat! :)

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. peanut butter

1 pkg. 6 squares BAKER'S White Chocolate melted

10 OREO Cookies, crumbled, divided 1 pkg.

8 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted

Directions:

ADD peanut butter to white chocolate; stir until well blended. Stir 1/2 the cookies into each bowl of chocolate.

I know most people don’t think about brownies much at the holidays, but these Cappuccino Cream Cheese Brownies just smell and taste like the holidays to me! For starters, brownies and cream cheese are just a heavenly combo, but what makes it even better are the warm flavors of the coffee and cinnamon! Plus it’s just fun swirling the cream cheese in the brownie batter. :)

Ingredients:

4 squares BAKER'S Unsweetened Chocolate

3/4 cup 1-1/2 sticks butter or margarine

2-1/3 cups sugar divided

5 eggs, divided

3 Tbsp. MAXWELL HOUSE Instant Coffee, any variety

1 tsp. vanilla

1-1/4 cups flour

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

2 Tbsp. flour

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwavable bowl on HIGH 2 minutes or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in 2 cups of the sugar. Add 4 of the eggs, coffee granules and vanilla; mix well. Stir in 1-1/4 cups of the flour. Spread into greased foil-lined 13x9-inch baking pan.

This is Paula Deen's Divinity recipe which happens to be exactly like the recipe my mom makes every year. It can be a little tricky, I have never attempted to do it myself, I always leave it to my mom. She seems to always make it perfectly. Keep in mind, weather is definitely a factor to the way this candy turns out. I love swirling it with chocolate, it just makes it more decadent in my opinion (although everything is better with chocolate to me ;). Try this candy out I think you'll really love it.

Ingredients:

4 cups sugar

1 cup white corn syrup

3/4 cup cold water

3 egg whites

1 teaspoon pure vanilla

2 cups chopped pecans

Directions:

In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stir together the sugar, corn syrup, and water. Stir only until sugar has dissolved. Do not stir after this point. Cook syrup mixture until it reaches 250 degrees F on a candy thermometer, bringing it to a hard ball stage.

While the syrup is cooking, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Once the sugar mixture reaches 250 degrees F, carefully pour a slow steady stream of syrup into the stiffly beaten egg whites, beating constantly at high speed. Add the vanilla and continue to beat until mixture holds its shape, approximately 5 minutes. Stir in pecans.

Using 2 spoons, drop the divinity onto waxed paper, using 1 spoon to push the candy off the other. This may take a little practice because the technique is to twirl the pushing spoon, making the candy look like the top of a soft serve ice cream. If the candy becomes too stiff, add a few drops of hot water. You will need to work fast when making this type of candy.

After you spoon the cooked sugar and nuts onto the waxed paper, you're done. Cool the candies on racks completely. You can store them in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks